A British Rose In The Sakura Garden
by GrimGrave
Summary: AU. Alternative Universe While searching for clues about Soul Edge, Ivy travels far to the east of Japan. Little does she know she will find an enemy that ultimately isnt after her life, but her affection. Contains yuri, rated M to be safe, and contains OOC Out Of Character
1. Chapter 1

**DISCLAIMER:** _GrimGrave_ does not own _Soul Calibur_ or its characters. He also doesn't make any profit out of this. _Soul Calibur_ belongs to _Namco_.

"Hello" - Talking

_´Hello´ _- Thinking

**A British Rose In The Sakura Garden**

The evening sun began to disappear from Japan's sky. People began to close shops and head home, with the exception of few workers at the docks and the town guards. The streetlights were lit, slowly decorating the village in scattered flames and providing light for the pedestrians. Amongst them was a tall woman wearing a black hooded robe, making her way through the small crowds towards what she guessed was an inn. She immediately stepped inside, blissfully unaware that a pair of eyes with a hungry look was watching her from one of the rooftops.

"Fuh fuh fuh… You can't hide from me… You'll see, soon enough, you'll be mine." The figure spoke, before instantly jumping off the roof to continue with her scheme.

The robed woman walked inside, taking a look around the place. It wasn't most pleasant inn she had encountered, but it had a certain cosy atmosphere, a feeling that made you want to slump down in a blanket and just drift to sleep. The woman let a smile form her purple-coloured lips at the Japanese architecture and designs when a small, elderly woman approached suddenly. The robed woman let out a cough, trying to communicate correctly.

"Uhm… K-Kon'nichiwa, wa..tashi wa heya o kari…tai…?"

The older woman let out a soft chuckle. "You are.. Not from around here, yes?" The woman in the robe was left slightly baffled, but managed to nod. "I understand some English… You seek shelter, yes? Rent a room?" The robed woman nodded again. "Yes.. Uhm, H-Hai?"

The old woman chuckled. "Hai. You, follow. I show you room." She said, motioning for the robed customer to follow, which she did. They walked down a long corridor, filled with rooms on the sides, before coming to a stop. The old woman moved away the slide-door, showing her customer her room. "Please, please, make yourself at home. I bring you food." And with that, she walked away, leaving her customer in her room. The robed woman sighed, and closed the door behind her, letting her satchel and robe fall to the floor, kicking off her boots as well. Clad in a British uniform with white gloves, the woman had short silvery, messy hair with bangs covering her eyes and was carrying a seemingly normal sword.

Isabella ´Ivy´ Valentine. The British woman who sought Soul Edge in order to destroy it. Having travelled far and wide, she had spent almost a year in Japan for any clues that could bring her closer to the cursed blade. The search had brought her to the East, deep into the heart of Japan. But it had not been in vain; Ivy had managed to find clues and other valuable information about its whereabouts. She had fought a skilled female ninja in order to get it, but it had been worth it.

Currently, she was on her way home. The ship to England wouldn't show up until a week or two, resulting in Ivy's current situation.

She cracked her neck loudly, followed by her equally stiff shoulders. "Ngh… At least now I should be able to relax… I'm sure I managed to loose that persistent ninja. She couldn't possibly have followed me this far…" Ivy said, staring at nothing in particular. She slumped down to the floor, stretching her legs forwards which made her moan in relief. "I should ask the old lady if there's a bath here. I so need one right now…" As if on queue, there was a knock on the slide-door which was soon opened by the old woman, carrying a small table-tray with different bowls on top, each radiating a heavenly aroma of eastern spices.

The old woman put down the food before Ivy, smiling as she did. "I hope you will enjoy it." She said, beginning to turn around when Ivy stopped her. "A.. Ariga.. Arigatou.. Uhm, by the way, do you, uhm… Have a bathhouse of sorts, here? Uhm.. Sentou?"

The older woman smiled. "Hai. Not Sentou, but Onsen. - Hot Spring bath. just down corridor. I bring you towel." She said and left the room, closing the door. Ivy let out a short tomboyish laughter and began to undress herself of the coat and gloves, before beginning to eat the delicious food.

Unknown to Ivy, the figure from before was right outside her room, snickering softly. _´A bath huh? Chance!´_ It thought, and darted off to make preparations.

Ivy's tongue ran across her lips; the faint taste of her delicious meal gathered on the tip as she delightfully savoured it. Gently, she put away the chopsticks and got up from her sitting position on the floor; her joints was stiff from the lack of comfort and battling, she desperately needed a warm bath to soothe her skin and muscles.

She grabbed the towel, closed the door behind her and walked down the wooden corridor like the elderly lady had told her. Her face lit up as she caught glimpse of the entrance; she could feel the outdoor air mixed the steams from where she was standing. Ivy almost danced her way towards the entrance, which was nothing more than a thin curtain, but it perfectly covered a sight that made her stop in her tracks.

Before Ivy was a perfectly smooth, flat tile floor that was perfectly synchronized with the environmental grass and rocks that surrounded the hot springs themselves, naked to the clear night sky. To her left, the building continued, providing some roof and an entrance to a small room where she could put away her clothes and belongings. Needless to say, Ivy was fast with undressing herself, and with a towel in hand which she quickly discarded right before the spring, she practically jumped into the warm water. Ivy was prone on retaining a certain image, but at times like this, a high-pitched squeal of delight escaped her throat.

"By God… This was _so_ worth the wait..!" She chuckled. "I hope the ship takes its time getting here… This is fantastic~" Ivy said with a content smile as she leant backwards towards the edge; relaxation slowly taking over, and her eyelids slowly closing. "A shame we don't have this back in England…." She said, before drifting off towards a light sleep while thinking back to a few weeks ago.

_Japan - Yahiko Jinja forest - Two Weeks Earlier_

After having spent a full week in a port-town for maps and forcefully study Japanese to the point of at least know the basics vaguely, Ivy Valentine was venturing deeper into the forest in her search for Soul Edge or any clues to where she could find it. Her last clue had brought her here, and according to the local populace, there was a shrine in these woods near the summit of the mountain.

Her destination.

The woods were getting more narrow and thicker with trees; the farther Ivy got from civilisation, the more she realized that she was completely alone. Cut off from any help. She had already spent a few days in the forest and her provisions had begun to run out. She shook her head lightly with a grunt and continued walking the barely visible path.

"Lets see.. According to the map, I should reach the shrine by tomorrow. Tch, I better be. Every second counts, and I rather not have someone get it before me." Ivy said in a dry, annoyed tone as she rolled her map back and put it in her satchel. The sun was slowly descending beyond the horizon, and the winds were getting colder. Ivy knew she soon had to stop to camp for the night. After all, travel at night was a recipe for accidents, and she needed the rest.

Darkness crept over the land, save from the small spot where Ivy had set up a small camp for herself. A fire pit to keep her warm and provide light, while a blanket served as the bed. Her robe was more than enough to actually keep her warm, but the fire pit would also keep beasts away.

"Just this one night… And I'll reach my destination." Ivy said before emitting a yawn. "I'll have my clues… soon enough.." And with that, Ivy fell asleep, unaware that she was being watched by a human that was trained for operating in the dark; to stay awake for periods of time and still be in top condition.

The eyes kept staring at the cloaked figure by the fire. The person in question had hid itself in the trees for the past few days, silently pursuing the robed figure to find out its purpose in these woods.

_´Whoever this is…She's getting closer to the Shrine. There's no mistake, that's definitely her goal. Looks like I have to beat her to it, but as a safety measure…´ _The hidden figure slowly unsheathed one of her kodachi, and leapt down to the ground. _´Cant risk having her pursuing me…´_ The figure thought as it walked up to Ivy, kodachi at the ready.

_´Sound asleep. Perfect.´ _The figure thought, before speaking in a low, soft tone as it grabbed the large hood to reveal Ivy´s face. "Nothing personal, but it has to…be.. done..?" The voice trailed off into something of a low mumble, the hazel eyes now finding themselves looking upon a woman that made the heart jump.

"….Whoa… Well hello there~" The figure said now in a sultry tone. "Pale light skin, hair white as snow and… Huh, purple does suit those cute lips of hers…" The figure smirked lightly, naked fingers carefully trailing down Ivy´s cheek. "Beautiful… Maybe I should wait until I'm certain of your purpose here… Yes."

The fingers kept on trailing the beautiful face that was Ivy´s. The figure now smiled at the sleeping foreigner, sheathing its kodachi. It began to walk away a few steps before it stopped, and turned around while letting out a content sigh.

"While this is so unlike me, I cannot deny a beautiful rose like yourself. I will see you later~"

At a blink of an eye, the figure was gone.

Sunrise. The faint sound of chirping birds and the vague smell of smoke from a died out fire pit.

Ivy had grown accustomed to waking up to this for the last few days. She would have preferred to wake up in a proper bed, but for the sake of information, especially that of Soul Edge, she had to make a few sacrifices. She got up on her feet, dusting herself off in the process. Opening her satchel, Ivy picked up a piece of bread, eating it with mouthful of water from her water pouch.

"Tch. I better get cracking. The Shrine isn't too far off; the faster I get what I'm looking for, the faster I can make my way back to the town."

With a somewhat full stomach, Ivy continued her hunt for the shrine until the early evening; she had almost given up hope until she spotted the man-made archway a few yards away. She felt her hope rise higher, letting out a satisfied chuckle at the sight.

"This is it! It has to be right beyond the archway! Finally… I am one step closer…" Ivy ran towards the archway, stopping only to admire the handiwork.

"Not bad… Not bad at all. Stunning, even…" With one last look, she resumed her running, past the archway and down the small dirt road for barely a minute before she reached what she had been searching for.

The Yahiko Jinja shrine. Ivy was thrilled and overjoyed about finally finding it, but what added to her smile was the sheer beauty of the area. The shrine stood alone in an area that was devoid of trees, letting them grow naturally around the shrine-grounds instead. A small stone staircase, followed by a small wooden bridge over the thin stream of water that ran through was breathtaking. The complete silence created an atmosphere that, in a way, made this moment even more special.

Although she was hesitant, Ivy began to run up to the entrance of the shrine, eager to find whatever clues she could, until an object flew right in front of her, stuck in the ground which stopped her movement accordingly. Unsheathing her sword, Ivy spun around to try and find the attacker.

"Oi! Show yourself, coward! If you want to battle, I'm all for it!" No response. Ivy gritted her teeth in annoyance.

"I said SHOW YOURSELF! Coward!"

"Fuh fuh fuh fuh… You sure are loud, Foreigner-san." Said a voice, surprisingly coming from above Ivy. The British woman immediately looked up, only to see a pair of hazel eyes, a hanging ponytail of brown/black colour, and a mask which covered the rest of the face. Her immediate response was to thrust her sword towards what was now her enemy, but the person had already dodged the attack.

"Tch! Here to protect the shrine are you? No matter; I'll just have to remove you, and the path will be cleared." Ivy said, her playfulness beginning to resurface. The enemy woman however simply laughed at her, jumping down to the ground with her own weapons unsheathed.

"Both yes, and no. I'm not protecting the shrine itself, Foreigner-san. Granted, I do not know what this building holds inside, but there is no way I will let you steal anything." The woman le tout a seemingly mocking laughter. "Oh, by all means, remove that hooded robe of yours. I'll bet you'll see better, and I'll get to see that beautiful face of yours~"

Ivy could feel her cheeks getting warmer; no doubt she was blushing. But what made her ignore the question of why she was blushing, was the realization that the woman apparently had seen her face once. The large hood should have prevented that, even if she had looked upwards just a minute ago.

"What do you mean by that? !"

The woman in the blue skin-tight bodysuit laughed yet again. Her mocking tone was clearly heard. "I suppose I should apologise… I did sneak up on your sleeping form last night, and let me tell you, your face was quite the sight~ I couldn't resist touching that gorgeous skin of yours…" She said, her voice trailing off until she simply giggled, much to Ivy´s chagrin.

"Thinking you can touch me as you please and get away with it? You made a grave mistake in telling me that; you should've killed me when you had the chance, _forest-monkey_!" Undressing herself from the large robe, Ivy began to charge towards the woman who acrobatically jumped over her, now standing behind her.

"Forest-monkey? You know, I only complemented you! But, that angry look on your face is rather cute too, in a way~"

Ivy was mortified; not by the fact that her enemy could easily jump like that, but by the remarks and comments she kept spewing out. "I-Idiot! Show that you're bloody serious and stop playing around!" Ivy shouted, her hand wielding the sword performing a whipping motion. The sword instantly grew longer, looking like a bladed whip, which Ivy instantly made use of; the whipsword extended further towards the pony tailed woman, entwining around her right dagger and wrist with a painful clutch. Before the masked woman could respond, Ivy had already yanked her forward with a sudden pull, finishing by thrust her left leg and kicking the masked woman in the stomach.

"UGH!" The masked woman fell a few feet away, clutching her stomach , trying to get back up. "Uuuh.. Feisty, arent you? I kind of admire strong women… Ngh!" Another kick to the side. As the woman rolled sideways in pain, Ivy raised her blade, now a sword again, and stepped closer towards her enemy. "Some guardian you are. I was appalled by that little jumping stunt, but it looks like you're out of tricks." Ivy grinned wickedly at her enemy. "How is it you say… Sa.. Sayo… Ah, Sayonara. That's it." Ready to strike her blade down, she was met with yet again, the mocking laughter.

"Correct, but my bag of tricks isn't empty just yet." The masked woman pulled something out of a small pouch, and hurled it towards the ground in between them. In a matter of seconds, a thick smoke was engulfing the small area, blocking Ivy´s view. The smoke irritated her eyes, and wasn't merciful to her throat; Ivy had completely lowered her guard, which resulted with a blow to her back.

As she fell, her sword got knocked out of her grasp, and was effectively kicked away by the woman. As the smoke settled, Ivy found herself lying on her back, unarmed and with the woman sitting on top of her with the kodachi merely an inch away from Ivy´s throat. The British noble felt her vexation grew beyond limits. She was so close to her goal, and then this had to happen. This couldn't be the end.

"The table has turned, Foreigner-san. Oh, that look on your face…" Her free hand reached out to caress Ivy´s cheek, but Ivy kept her furious glare focused on her enemy.

"While its true that the look of anger is cute… A smile wouldn't really hurt you." The woman withdrew her hand, and pulled down her demon mask, revealing the rest of her face. The sight did change Ivy´s expression, if only a little. Along with the hazel-brown eyes was a face that would best be described as cute, but also handsome in a way. Her peachy lips and light skin combined perfectly, and the smile alone was to die for.

"See? A smile wont hurt you; quite the opposite." Her face was slowly turning a few shades redder, but Ivy dismissed it. "Look. Tell you what, Foreigner-san; tell me the truth of why you are here, and I _might_ spare you. Deal?"

"Tch. Fine. If you have to know, I'm here in hope to find a clue to a certain… Artefact. An artefact that I have to find in order to destroy. Good enough for you?" Ivy replied in a dry, vexed voice. The woman stared at her neutrally at first, but soon her visage changed to a grim one.

"Are you perhaps… Referring to _Soul Edge_..?" She said. Ivy´s eyes widened, upon hearing it.

"Yes..! That's the one… How did you-"

"To travel such lengths for finding something that lies who knows where… There cant be much else. Besides, I too, have a reason for wanting that blade destroyed." Her face softened, and her smile returned as she slowly withdrew her blade from Ivy. "Dare I say… That we are on the same side?"

Ivy frowned at first, but the thought of having an ally could prove useful. A grin formed her lips as she spoke. "I suppose. But first thing first _forest-monkey_, get off me."

"….."

"Well? Can you please get off me?"

The Japanese woman stared at Ivy for a few more seconds, before her smile changed into a smirk. Before Ivy could react, the woman had pinned her arms, their faces now close enough to feel each others breaths.

"Not just yet. Tell me, what is your name Foreigner-san?" The woman said in a sultry tone. Ivy felt her heart pound faster for an unknown reason, and she swore she felt herself cold sweating.

"…My name is Ivy. Ivy Valentine."

The woman on top of her smirked even wider. "Cute~. I'm Taki, a ninja. Pleasure meeting you, Ivy-chan!"

Their lips connected. Ivy felt a shiver run down her spine, and as Taki kept on kissing her unmoving lips, time seemed to freeze for a short moment.

A woman was kissing her. A _woman_. This was not how she thought the day would end.

As the shock and mortification consumed her, Taki eventually stopped her assault and grinned foolishly at the stunned British woman.

"Wha… How.. Why… I.."

Taki laughed again, smiling dumbly. "Japanese greeting, Ivy-chan. So, lets check out the shrine, shall we? Unless, you rather stay put and let me greet you again~?" Taki literally purred those words, and as shocked Ivy was, she felt the surge to bolt up, grab her sword, and run ahead to the shrine, flustered and confused.

"N-No! Lets j-just find that b-bloody clue and be d-done with it!"

"Ah! Ivy-chan, wait up!"

_End of Flashback - Present Time_

Ivy shivered. The mere memory of what happened made her cringe. After scouring the shrine, she and Taki had managed to find a scroll which contained details of a "_cursed weapon_" that was said to be scattered into pieces, large enough to maintain portions of the evil aura. Ivy hadn't read all of it, for as soon as she got her hands on the scroll, she had made a run for it, away from Taki.

Taki obviously had been able to easily catch up, but surprise attack at her head had successfully knocked her unconscious. Ivy had taken the opportunity to take a different route towards another town, according to the map.

Resulting in her present situation.

One the run from a homosexual ninja. Her life certainly had taken an interesting toll. Interesting, in the sense of "odd." As in "weird".

Her eyelids slowly opened up, the clear night sky greeting her eyes with the stars glowing faintly in the vast distance. It was a calm feeling, as if she did not have a care in the world. Ivy let out a content sigh, satisfied with her bath time; God knows how long she had been in it.

As Ivy got up from the warm spring water, the cold wind engulfed her naked body immediately, but she paid it no mind; the towel that was now wrapped around her body provided enough warmth until she got inside to dry herself off, head to toe. She dried her hair and most of her body that wasn't covered by the larger towel.

"Ano, sumimasen…" A sudden voice said. It sounded shy, but surprised as Ivy was, she immediately spun around to face whoever the voice belonged to.

Before her stood a woman, and judging by the clothes, she was most likely an employee of the inn. Her hair covered her eyes, hanging freely down the sides of her head.

_´Strange…´_ Ivy thought to herself as she eyed the girl up and down. _´This place isn't that big, I haven't seen any employee here except for the old lady..´_

"Hai?" Ivy replied. The woman seemed timid, in a way.

"A-Ano… Watashi… uhm.. Y-you are.. g-guest, hai?" Ivy sighed. She wasn't too fluent in Japanese, and obviously this woman wasn't too fluent in English. This would be annoying, but regardless, Ivy simply nodded. The employee smiled slightly.

"Then, you… Uhm, Would you like… ehm… Massāji? Ma-…. Massage? Hai?" The employee shifted uncomfortably, likely due to trying to find the right words. "Uhm… Kokyaku sābisu. Eto… Customer… service…?"

The British noble let out a soft chuckle. So that's what it was. The innkeeper had probably sent the employee here in order to squeeze more money out for Ivy's stay. However, money was not a problem for her, and her body could use a good massage. She grinned ever so slightly and nodded at the employee. "Hai. Arigatou." The woman clasped her hands together, a wide smile decorating her face. She bowed and motioned Ivy to a small room, which was decorated with simple, yet beautiful paintings and wooden figurines, lit up with a few candles and finished with an small, but open window. In the middle of the room was a wooden table, but on it was a pillow and a blanket which covered the table. Figured that she was suppose to lie on it, Ivy did just so.

The employee closed the door behind them before walking over to her guest, making sure Ivy was comfortable enough. She went to another table to get a small wooden box, which contents was unknown to Ivy as she couldn't clearly see it. She figured it was eastern massage oils or the like, and didn't pay more attention on it.

"S-sumimasen… uhm, excuse…me." The employee stuttered again. "T-taoru. Towel - I need to take it off, hai."

Ivy tried to turn her head to see the woman, but as she was lying down, she was unsuccessful, and was forced to settle with watching out of the corner of her eye. "Uhm.. Is it necessary? Cant you just do my shoulders, please?" The heat slowly crept up to her face; while normally she wouldn't have any problems with that level of skin-contact with another person, the fact that she was a stranger in a foreign land made it somewhat uneasy. Especially as she instantly recalled that in her hurry to the bath, she had forgotten to bring her sword. Granted, she could fight, but she felt a lot more at ease with her sword in hand.

"Iie, iie! Whole back. The towel, remove it, hai?" The woman urged, to which Ivy gave in with an annoyed sigh. She let the towel slid off her back, exposing the framed, naked skin. Barely three seconds went before a cold, almost slimy substance touched her back, followed by a pair of hands that immediately went to work with Ivy's tired muscles. Ivy let out a satisfied moan as her back and shoulders was kneaded and stroked in a way that almost washed away the stiffness in her muscles.

"I hear you like, hai? Special oil, good for the skin. Works wonders on troubled muscles." The woman explained, but Ivy didn't listen. Her attention was elsewhere, as she was being cared for in a style of luxury.

_´All I need now is a glass of red wine, and then it would be utterly perfect~´_ Ivy thought with glee.

The minutes passed, and the sky grew only darker outside, if possible. As Ivy's massage continued, much to her joy, the employee slowly began to slowly work her way downwards the naked body, bit by bit. It wasn't until her hands was just above Ivy's well-shaped behind that Ivy came back to reality, alarmed.

"Oi! You're going a little too low there!" Ivy nearly shouted, in which the woman flinched. "G-Gomenasai! B-but its… uhm, important, to tend the whole body! S-Sumimasen, but.. Uhm… I-I need to do front as well. Hai?"

Ivy stared out of the corner of her eye again, this time in sheer shock mixed with anger. "Iie! Look, the massage was lovely, but I'm NOT comfortable with letting a stranger touch me freely over my front body. Thanks but no thanks-"

"Please, do not be alarmed!" The employee nearly shouted back. "It is only Sukinshippu - Skinship, hai? No foolery, honestly! Please!" The woman bowed deeply, much to Ivy's confusion. She kept still in the same position for several minutes, all the while Ivy kept staring at her with disarray, but eventually gave in with yet another irritated sigh. "Hai hai… But one suspicious move, and I'm out of here!"

"Hai!"

_´I should've walked out…´_ Ivy thought as she now found herself in a position she never thought would happen. With not even a towel to cover herself, Ivy was now naked, on her back, and at the somewhat mercy of the woman's hands. The cool air from outside stiffened her nipples to her embarrassment, but she kept up a passive face. The oil poured down on her belly, followed by a pair of hands that roamed across said belly, gently stroking and kneading the flesh, eventually moving down to the thighs. During the whole ordeal, Ivy stared right up at the ceiling, completely passive.

"Relax, relax. Skinship helps you reach a comfortable level to soothing skin and muscle… Just close your eyes and let your mind wander, hai…"

"Tch… Like I could possibly relax under these circumstances. Although I have to admit, my skin does feel smoother… Ough! Agh, what the-!" Ivy grunted, as the employee now was straddling her waist while freely touching Ivy's rather ample chest.

"Oi! What the sodding hell do you think you´re doing? !" Ivy tried to shove the woman off her, but she wouldn't budge.

"Fuh fuh fuh… For being a woman of the blade, you sure are easy to trick. Not that I can complain, of course…"

Ivy's eyes slowly widened as realisation hit her like a bullet. "Don't tell me…!"

The woman let out a short laughter. "You cant get rid of me that easily, Ivy-chan~ Your tracks was a child's play to follow. And now we're back together again!" Taki said, still kneading the struggling Ivy's breasts.

"For the love of-! Get off me! Ngh.. Stop… it!"

With all her willpower and strength, Ivy made an attempt to punch Taki off her. Luckily for her, the punch connected perfectly with Taki´s chin, sending the ninja crashing on the floor. Now that that she was momentarily stunned, Ivy quickly grabbed the towel to wrap around herself, followed by the basket with her clothes and ran, as best as she could, towards her own room. It was only when Ivy reached the door that she heard the sound rapid footsteps closing in on her.

The adrenalin rushed in lightening speed.

Forcefully slide open the door. Throw aside the basket, ignore the towel falling to the ground.

Dash to the sword, grab the hilt.

Spin around, and slash!

Steel met steel in a loud clash, but Ivy kept swinging her sword repeatedly to fend off Taki. The ninja giggled as she either parried or dodged the strikes.

"Whoa, Sugoi! Truly a fine display, and I'm not talking about your combat skills!"

"Silence!" Ivy flicked her wrist only slightly, but being a master of snakesword combat, it did a lot more; the seemingly ordinary sword was released into its whip-state, which not only gave Ivy dangerously longer range, but allowed her to entwine objects if she wanted.

Ivy grinned widely, and it grow only wider as her sword slashed away like a serpent towards Taki who was dumbfounded at the sight. She tried her best to parry the blows but eventually, Ivy got what she had greatly desired; a whipping blow at the ninja. The strike itself left minor cuts, but the force behind it knocked Taki towards the wall, then down on the floor.

"Hah! Serves you right, cretin!" The grin on Ivy's face didn't falter for even a second, as she, with the flick of her wrist, returned her weapon into its proper sword form, its edge pointing at Taki. "Any last words?"

To Ivy's confusion, Taki seemed to be laughing lowly as she reached for something in her pouch. A smirk decorated her face, further throwing Ivy into disarray. "Hai! Catch!"

Smoke ball.

"Cough! Cough! Bloody hell…! Cough!" Ivy thrashed her blade wildly around in hope to at least damage the ninja, but she didn't feel anything hit her blade. As the smoke slowly cleared out, Ivy's visibility returned only to see; nothing.

Taki was gone. The British noble grit her teeth in frustration.

"That little whore! Fine! Go hide yourself you cowering little rat!"

The sound of rapid footsteps closing in yet again. Ivy spun around, sword at the ready.

"Miss! Miss! What is going on- ….. N-Nani…?" The old innkeeper said, staring in shock at her foreign guest who was naked as a newborn child, holding a sword threatening at her. Ivy seemed to be just as shocked, and equally embarrassed to boot.

"…I come back later, hai?" She said, before hurryingly leaving. Ivy on the other hand was frozen in place, still not getting over her shock.

_´For the love of-!´ _She thought, finally moving to lean towards the nearest wall. Her heart was beating at a rate that felt abnormal, and the blood rushed to her face with incredible speed. She clutched the area above her heart, trying to focus.

_´Just what is going on?!´_

_Approximately an hour later_

Dressed in her white pants and a black shirt, Ivy ventured down the hall to the outside of the inn, out to the small veranda. The wind was cool, but not freezing. The sky was dark, but lightened up by the stars.

Taking a seat on the edge of the veranda, Ivy looked up at the stars, trying her hardest to cool down. Her face was still warm, but her heart rate had slowed down a bit. A few deep breaths of the clear, cool night air, and her mind seemed to slowly be eased.

"Just what was that..? I'm used to encounters like that, though I'm usually dressed…" Ivy's head sank down, her fingers ruffling through her already messy hair. "Did the smoke contain some sort of gas perhaps? Then I wouldn't have to worry now since I'm outside but…. AAARGH! Why am I feeling so strange? !"

"Troubled mind, miss?" A familiar voice said, followed by a hearty chuckle. Ivy turned her head around to see the elderly innkeeper now taking a seat beside her, but there was no eye contact. Instead, she put down a small wooden tray with what Ivy figured was some kind of food. Whatever it was, it was three of them, shaped like balls and served on a skewer, together with two cups of tea. At least Ivy was familiar with the Japanese green tea. Nevertheless, Ivy gave the woman a sceptical look.

"Uhm… Sumimasen… But what is this? Ehm.. Korehanandesuka?"

The woman chuckled. "Dango. Dumplings, if you like. Good for times like this, hai. Please, do try." She said, gently pushing the tray closer to Ivy who, although still sceptical, decided to give them a try. Picking up a skewer, she gently blew the first dumpling before taking a bite.

"Mm… By George, this is good! Mmhm!"

"I thought you might like it. Good for times like this, you agree?"

Ivy nodded with a wide smile. "Hai. I'll surely miss these once I return home.." The innkeeper nodded slowly, as the awkward silence emerged. Nothing but the sound of chewing of dangos and sipping of tea.

"You should take care of the little time you have left, miss." The innkeeper said, breaking the silence. Ivy turned her head to face her, but the elderly woman kept staring in front of her. "Excuse me?"

"Whatever troubles you, miss… Time is.. Important, hai. You're young… You shouldn't waste time by doing nothing. Whatever troubles you… Don't let it slide. Be it dreams, ambitions…" The innkeeper turned and looked Ivy in the eyes with a small smile. "Or love."

Ivy stared at her, flabbergasted. "W-what? ! Love?! What are you-! I don't even-! Tch, I have no idea what you are on about, but what troubles me is definitely not love!"

_´It couldn't possibly be something as trivial as that! …. Right?´_

The old woman chuckled. "I was young once. The first encounter with love is always confusing. But I shall not pry. Just remember what I said, hai?" She got back up on her feet, bringing the dango-less skewers and empty mugs with her and leaving behind a utterly confused and annoyed Ivy behind.

"Tch! ….You know, for someone who claimed to understand "some" English, you sure seem quite fluent in the language."

The woman turned around, her smile still on her face. "I am a good learner. Sleep well." She bowed, and went inside, while Ivy was still sitting outside, deep in her own thoughts for now.

"Just what the bloody hell is going on…?"

Ivy stared back up at the sky. "Love huh… Nonsense. I don't need that sort of rubbish. And certainly not from a cowardly, perverted, slip of a girl ninja or whatever the hell she calls herself!"

The wind swept through with a howl, bringing the coldness with it. Normally, Ivy would not be bothered by it, but for whatever reason, the chill cut to her very bones. Deciding to heading inside for the warmth and sleep, Ivy walked back to her room locked in thoughts yet again.

_´Love… What a joke. If that was even possible, then how would I've fallen for someone who clearly is only after my body, and to boot is the same gender? Honestly, it doesn't even make any sense! I mean, granted, she's not ugly or anything, but that is as far as it goes!´_

The hallway was dark and silent. The night was no longer young, and the desire to sleep was growing heavier on Ivy, who just reached her room. No light whatsoever, but at this point, she didn't care.

"Luckily I prepared that… What's it called again.. Fu-…futon? Yes, that's probably it. I'm too tired to care.." Ivy groggily said as she closed the door behind her, and began to undress save from the shirt, and tried to find her way into the futon covers.

The cool, soft embrace of covers and pillow.

"Aah… This is the greatest…"

"Yes, this is very lovely~"

Ivy's eyes instantly opened, greatly widening at sound of the voice coming from behind her.

Before she could turn around or even get out of the futon, a pair of arms forcefully found their way around her waist, the hands busy with groping whatever skin and flesh they found, much to Ivy's dismay.

"Only a shirt and undergarments? And here I thought you would wear a beautiful nightgown… Not that I could possibly complain about this, Ivy-chan~"

"What the-! How did you get in here?! And how did you get into-!"

"Ivy sweetie, I'm a ninja. I can easily sneak in anywhere. Though, with that smoke ball, I only needed to hide and wait for the perfect opportunity."

"What? !" Ivy shouted, struggling with all her strength under the covers while Taki was all over her, to Ivy's anger. "Get your filthy, perverted hands off me! I swear to God that I´ll slice your head off for thi- What the…! Y-you´re naked!"

Taki giggled mockingly. "Surprise surprise, Ivy-chan~" Ivy kept struggling, trying desperately to get out of Taki´s grasp. "What is wrong with you? ! I want nothing to do with you, you sick freak!" Taki simply laughed at Ivy's outburst, her hands fondling Ivy's breasts while keeping her pinned down. "I always get my target, silly. You'll soon learn to love me, very soon. Just give me a chance, yes?"

"A chance? ! You… _Assault_ me with your perversion, and you want me to give you a chance? !" Ivy felt Taki lean in close, pressing her own ample chest against Ivy's back while whispering into her ear in a sultry voice. "If you agree to give me a chance, I´ll do whatever you say. Like, letting you go right now." Taki proceeded with sensually licking Ivy's earlobe, before whispering yet again. "Wouldn't you like that?"

Ivy shivered at the wet touch. She tried to jerk her head away, but Taki easily manoeuvred her tongue to keep licking. While she wanted to just get out of Taki´s perverted grip, she didn't want to agree to the condition at first.

_´Tch! If I accept, she'll let me go, but I have to "give her a chance". If I don't, she'll keep this up. However, if I agree, I could just try and get away while I have the chance! … But she already found me this time, she'll probably just do it again…´_ Ivy met Taki´s gaze out of the corner of her eye. _´I'm really pathetic for getting so easily pinned down twice, aren't I?´_ She sighed heavily.

"…Fine."

"Huh?" Taki said.

"I said fine. If you just let go of me this instant, I…" Another sigh. "I give you a bloody chance. Tch!"

Silence. Taki remained speechless, but sure enough, her grip on Ivy disappeared as she backed off a bit and sat up.

"Yatta! I never thought you would say yes! Oh you wont regret this sweety! We're going to have so much fun tomorrow! Woho!" She exclaimed, pumping her fists into the air happily while Ivy dumbfounded stared at her. "The feeling is not mutual, trust me on that. Now get out of my sight!" Ivy pointed at the door, her tone was harsh and loud, but Taki simply shook her head, much to Ivy's further annoyance.

"You're not off the hook that easily Ivy-chan." She said, crawling a bit closer, Taki then stopped and extended her arms as long as possible to separate directions. "Embrace me tightly and tell me you'll promise to take care of me tomorrow~"

Ivy felt her sanity slowly slip away. Her nerves reacted over this annoyance in the form of forcefully making her left eye twitch. "Are you pulling my leg?" Taki shook her head. "Don't be shy, Ivy-chan~ Embrace me tightly…"

Ivy kept staring in disbelief at the girl, but to Taki´s joy, her facial expression softened. She even wore a small smile as she crawled closer, slowly opening up for a hug as well. "Taki…"

"Ivy-chan…"

Ivy grabbed both of Taki´s wrists in a flash, and before Taki could retaliate, Ivy took control of her arms and with a separate motion, she yelled out one word with each slap to Taki´s noggin she dealt with Taki´s own palms.

"GET! OUT!"

* * *

Sunrise. The arrival of another morning, of another day. With a groggy mind and hazy vision, Ivy struggled to get up from her comfortable futon. Quickly glancing around her room, she sighed with relief when Taki wasn't anywhere to be seen. Ivy arched her back considerably, a few cracking sounds emitting from it as she did.

"Nnnghh… By George that felt good. And with that good night's sleep to energize me.." She took a look around again for her belongings. "Its time for me to get out of here before that slip of a girl-"

"I'm quite womanly, I assure you." Taki said as she appeared seemingly out of nowhere, startling Ivy to the point that she let out a short shriek. "W-Where did you come from? !"

Taki simply smirked back at Ivy. "Irrelevant, but rest assured I honoured my end of the bargain. It was hard to resist the temptation that is yours truly, but I kept my hands off. And tongue." Taki kept smirking, her head slightly tilting to the side. Her gaze bore into Ivy's, and the British noble began to feel unable to focus; she was getting warmer by the second and for every inch Taki crept forward, Ivy had to bite the inside of her cheek to be able to force herself take a step back.

"When you said you were going to get out of here, you weren't talking about trying to run away again, right?" Taki said, crawling closer to Ivy who kept backing away. She didn't even blink.

"Uh…" Ivy began. "Even if I was to really give you chance, what exactly did you even have in mind for… All this?" She tried to regain composure, but seeing that Taki wasn't backing off, and Ivy didn't want to get too close, she didn't regain much. She was still the one cowering.

"Easy Ivy-chan~ Put your heart and soul into making this day the most romantic day of both our lives, take me out for a romantic dinner, or maybe surprise me with a trip to romantic place for just the two of us, or-" Ivy stopped listening at that point. She couldn't believe what she had heard. Taki kept on talking about who knows what, but Ivy blocked it out, frozen in disbelief.

"…_You_ want_ me_ to… _Court_ you?" She finally managed to say. "Me, courting you? Listen here for a second you numbskull. Even if I by slightest chance would agree, your request is simply not working for two reasons; One, We're in Japan. I don't know the locations of specific sightings or whatnot. Two, I barely know the language, and I cant for the life of me read the signs you love to write. Me courting you simply doesn't work out, and to add a third reason, We are both women."

Ivy felt like she gained the upper hand as Taki´s smirk disappeared, but as quickly as it did, it reappeared. "So? I find you to be very desirable even if you are a woman." The white-haired woman's jaw dropped.

"You got to be pulling my leg here! Don't say such weird things!"

"I'm not kidding around. Love on first sight does occur, you know. And…" Taki reached out to Ivy, her naked fingers playing with Ivy's bangs that covered her eyes. "The sight of your gorgeous face _captivated _me…" She purred out.

Ivy's heart began to beat faster. The ninja's face as she said that, and the purring caught her interest in a way that she thought would never happen to her. A small urge of seeing and hearing it simultaneously again began to rise, and Ivy was unsure what to think of it.

"…I…" She began, but was intervened by Taki.

"But you do have a point! After all, YOU are the guest in my land, so _I_ will court _you_!" She finished with a big grin.

"….I rather that you didn't." Ivy said plainly. Taki simply shook her head lightly and giggled. "You don't have any choice you know. You can run, but evidently I'll find you. And I can't promise that I wont sneak into your futon again… While you sleep."

"Ugh… F-Fine. But if you even try to do something perverted-"

"I'll be a good girl, if you are." Taki smirked, withdrawing her hand from Ivy's hair. "Its settled then! Meet me near the docks at one hour, Ivy-chan~" The black-haired youth said before giving Ivy a quick peck on the cheek and disappeared with yet another smoke ball. After a huge amount of coughing and cursing, Ivy trailed her fingers on the mark she had been kissed on, emotions and thoughts all in one big mess in her head at the moment. She sighed heavily.

"That bloody gnat… Why her…? Of all people…"

"What am I doing here?"

Ivy stood near the docks an hour later, just like she was told to. Clad in her usual British uniform with sword strapped to her waist, she tapped her foot impatiently against the ground, glaring daggers at anyone who met her eyes. She knew she had to do this; hiding from a ninja evidently didn't work out that well.

"I shouldn't even be here! I should be relaxing at the inn, waiting for that bloody ship to arrive so I can get back home!"

"But if you went back home, I would be all alone. And we don't want that to happen, would we?" Startled, Ivy let out a loud yelp, turning around only to see Taki standing behind her with yet annoying smirk on her lips. Ivy had begun to grow more and more angry at the sight.

"Can't you walk up to someone as a normal person _at least_! ?"

Taki shook her head. "Its a lot more fun this way. Anyway, glad you made it! Oh this will be so much fun! I think we should go and visit the nearby shrine! No! Maybe we should have a nice picnic in the woods, take a walk perhaps! No no, we should definitely go to the teahouse!" Taki continued coming up with suggestions for several minutes, but Ivy ignored her at this point; all she could hear was a bunch of words spewing out of Taki´s mouth to the point that it was near impossible to hear what she said anyway.

Eventually she stopped, but instead, Taki had now closed the distance between them with a suggestive look in her eyes. "Or maybe we should head to the beach or the hot springs… You know, to _cleanse_ ourselves…" She stepped closer. "I'll clean you up, then you can clean me up…~"

Ivy's fist connected with Taki´s noggin, creating distance between them yet again.

"Owh! What was that-"

"I don't want to hear you finish that line! Or any other line that involves your sick fantasies!"

Taki snickered. "They're more than fantasies, my sweet Ivy. It's a goal." Ivy spat at the ground in response. "A goal that you wont achieve in this lifetime! Now, can we_ please_ get this over with so I can get rid of you?"

The raven-haired ninja giggled in her usual mocking manner. "Regardless of the outcome of this, you wont get rid of me~ Not now, not ever."

Ivy deadpanned. "I'll find a way. Trust me on that."

"Whatever you say grumpy. Now…" Taking a step backwards, Taki bowed deeply while remaining eye contact, and extended her hands towards Ivy in a gentleman-manner. "My fair lady, may I have the privilege to court you this beautiful day, until the stars light up the sky?"

Silence.

The white-haired woman stared at the extended hand, then back at Taki´s eyes. Her gaze shifted between the two, for she could do little else. Her emotions was in turmoil, and she couldn't decide if she actually wanted to do. She would be lying if she said that there wasn't even a small spark of interest for the Japanese woman, but what kind of interest was it even?

Despite her self-proclaimed better judgement, Ivy made a move.

The look in Taki´s eyes was brighter than ever, as her hazel orbs absorbed the image of a silvery white glove entwine its fingers with hers, locking the two hands together.

"You may."

"You're going to love this; I went ahead and made preparations for us at a secret spot earlier~ You'll worship the ground I stand on for this~" Taki said with a giggle, pulling Ivy along. "Allow me to disagree with you on that one…" Ivy replied with a grunt. Being led by Taki to God knows where into the woods wasn't exactly she was looking forward to. But, she had agreed to give her a chance, and further strengthening it by allowing Taki to court her.

"Oh don't be so gloomy Ivy-chan~ Oh, we're here!"

Ivy stared in disbelief at the sight before here; being led through the woods for nearly an hour hadn't been for naught. They had walked into a small meadow, completely isolated from the civilisation, decorated with what nature had to offer, a small waterfall. And in the middle of the meadow was wooden basket, which they currently was walking towards.

"Not bad, right? Nothing but peace, tranquillity and the beauty of nature. And to make it even better; I made us onigiri!" Ivy looked at her quizzically. "…What is onigiri?"

"Oh, you don't know? It is basically rice balls, but with a filling." The white-haired woman nodded in response. "So, first thing today is a picnic? That'll do, I suppose…"

"Playing hard to get huh? You'll see, you'll see. This is but the top of the mountain!"

Taki, despite being generally cheerful, pouted at Ivy's reaction. Surely, anyone would be somewhat offended by Ivy's choice of words, but in this case Taki was still optimistic.

However, seeing the ninja pout like that flipped a switch deep inside Ivy.

She laughed. Loudly, wholeheartedly and genuine, at the sight of the pesky ninja actually pouting and being upset, even if it very slightly.

"Oh dear… That face of yours when you pout like that… Hahahahahahah! I-Its just too adorable for someone like you…. Haha..hahahahahah!"

Taki pouted even more in annoyance, but soon enough, it changed into a wide smirk; a smirk that didn't go unnoticed by the British noble. "W-What is it now…?"

Taki tilted her head slightly to the side. "You just thought I was adorable."

"….. It was a one-time thing."

"Sure it was, sure it was. Now, shall we continue, _milady?_"

"Tch. Fine, but don't get your hopes up!" Ivy said in a harsh tone, but the ninja laughed it off while handing her a rice ball. The two sat down on the short grass, enjoying the view of the waterfall and the small pool of water. Time slowly passed, and eventually the two women talked about everything and anything, though it was mostly about weapons, techniques and cultural differences.

"I see… Your homeland sounds interesting."

"I cant complain too much." Ivy said. "Still, I do wish that we had it a little more like this." The ninja let out a soft giggle. "I could say likewise. I would love to visit this England of yours."

The British noble chuckled upon hearing the ninja say that. "Is that right? Too bad that it wont ever happen." Taki looked at her sceptically. "And why is that? Oh! Aw, Ivy-chan~ Are you saying that you wont ever leave me, so you'll stay here in Japan? That's sweet of you~"

"What the sodding hell are you on about? !" Ivy yelled, her voice filled with spite. "What I meant was that as soon as the ship arrives, I am out of here and back to England, _alone_." At that instant, Taki moved closer to Ivy, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "Now why would you do that when you have the perfect partner right here?" Taki was once again invading Ivy's personal space and she didn't like it any more than before. At least that what she wanted to think, but the mere thought of Taki being so close to her made her heart race.

"D-don't get so close!"

"But I feel that I need to take drastic measures to convince you… You've given me a chance, yet you keep talking about nonsense like you will leave me."

"That's because I will! I am not swinging that way, nor would I fall for someone as perverted as you!"

Taki smirked at Ivy, wider than usual. With her arm still around Ivy's shoulders, Taki slowly brought the two of them closer. "W-What are you doing? !" The ninja snickered. "You have a great opportunity to shove me off you, yet all you do is shout. If you really hated this, you would've shown it by now." She was right.

Ivy could easily just shove Taki away, maybe even attack her at that point. So why wasn't she doing anything, besides just sitting there, slowly watching as Taki and her was closing in on each other.

Her mind screamed to punch her, kick her, anything just so she would back off. But Ivy knew, that deep inside her was a faint, glowing spark that wanted affection. Love.

But before she could process the truth behind it, the feeling of something soft and partly wet met her lips, while a hand held her head in place. It was like a jolt surged through her veins at the touch, and it left a lingering feeling that made her feel at ease, yet excited. As the lips, both her and Taki´s, moved in rhythm of repeated kisses, the feeling grew stronger until Ivy felt something flare up inside her.

A need. A desire. Faint as it was, it was still something that made her want to do something more. But once again, her thoughts was interrupted when Taki pulled away, but not before licking Ivy across her lips with a smirk. "See? No resistance. How can I leave you alone when you aren't convincing at all?"

Ivy wanted to say something, anything. But the voice or the words didn't come. All she did and could do was to look into Taki´s brown eyes who stared back at hers in return. Then was that smirk on her face again. "So, how do you like it so far? Eating out in the wilderness with a lovely company isn't such a bad start right?"

The white-haired woman's expression changed into that of a surprise. "T-Theres more..?" The ninja laughed at her immediately. "Of course! I did ask for the privilege to court you until the stars light up the sky, remember? The day is still young, but if you want…" Taki leaned in close again, against Ivy's ear; Taki´s breath against her ear made Ivy blush red like a tomato, which turned into a even deeper shade of red as she heard her speak. "We could remain here and have another go at _eating out_~"

"A-A-Absolutely NOT! Get off me!" Ivy yelled, shoving Taki off her harshly, but the ninja laughed it off as she slowly got up. "I can see through your charade. You should drop it already and start enjoying yourself. Now come on, I have more to show you." Taki got up and offered her hand to Ivy who was still sitting down. She glared at it for a few seconds but eventually she grabbed it and got up as well. The ninja giggled and began to drag her once again.

After navigating their way out of the woods, Ivy noticed that they had returned to the village, but they were in another part of it. She had no clue where Taki was taking her as she couldn't read the signs.

_´Thankfully I do have my sword with me should she try anything.´_

"Ah, we're here!" Taki exclaimed while pointing at a wooden sign. "This place has a way better hot spring than the inn you're staying at. At least when it comes to decoration and… _atmosphere~_ Perfect for you and me…~"

"I am NOT getting into a hot spring with you." Ivy crossed her arms with a glare. "And I may not be an expert in courting, but you don't usually go to bathhouses or the like. That's what they would do if they already were a couple."

Taki nodded. "Yes, exactly. So, shall we go in?"

"…You're not listening… We are not a couple. I am not going in there with you." The raven-haired ninja sighed in response before turning back to facing Ivy. "We've already kissed, I've seen and touched your body."

"Tch! Your point?"

"My point is that we've already crossed that level. So why are you so against it now?"

Ivy fumed. "That doesn't mean that _I_ enjoyed it!"

Taki grinned at her. "You still haven't actually walked away, and you did let me kiss you earlier. Look; I promise you, here and now, that I wont do anything while we're in there. No remarks, no touching, no kissing, nothing. Deal?"

Blue orbs met hazel orbs once more. The eye contact was intense, none of them even moving a muscle.

_´As if I could trust her! I just know that she will have something up her sleeve! Though a bath does sound tempting… No! I just walk away and have one at the inn… But knowing her, she could easily sneak in and do something there as well! Then it doesn't matter… But if she actually is honest…´_

Ivy eyed Taki up and down. Taki smiled innocently at her, which made her cringe; she knew she was far from innocent. But despite knowing that, she had agreed to being courted by her, and she had indeed letting Taki kiss her. And the little voice in the back of her head was persistent with chiming to give in.

"…..Try anything, and you're finished."

The ninja's face lit up brightly while her body was practically jumping up and down in joy. "You have my word! Now lets get inside!"

The familiar feeling of warm water touching naked skin was not lost to Ivy. Granted, she didn't want to drop her guard, but Taki so far seemed to be true to her word. She had even let go of Ivy's hand the second they walked inside, and she wasn't even as much as throwing glances at her. The two of them was in fact simply relaxing in a hot spring together, much to Ivy's joy. Though, a small part of her did miss it.

"I guess I have to thank you. Not only did I get myself a heavenly soak, but you haven't done anything at all. I'm impressed, to say the least." Ivy said in a mocking tone. To her surprise, Taki shifted her gaze somewhere else while keeping her distance.

"As long as you don't go away, I'm fine. I really wanted to bring you here, so to just share a bath with you is enough." Taki responded, but her gaze was still not on Ivy. Not unnoticed, the British woman quirked an eyebrow in subtle disbelief. The ninja that had been so obsessive and perverted actually kept herself under control to the point that she didn't even look at her.

Ivy felt something tug at her heart at the realisation.

_´I know I told her to not do anything but… Why is it that it hurts seeing her so distant? Wasn't that what I wanted?´_

Ivy stared at Taki again The ninja was still looking at something else from her spot on the other side of the spring, to Ivy's annoyance. But at that instant, an idea began to hatch inside Ivy's mind. She felt her lips pull upwards in a wide grin as she began to plot. It was time for some payback; and it needed to be treaded on slowly.

"Say, _Taki-chan_," Ivy began in a very sultry voice, instantly gaining the ninja's attention who stared wide-eyed at her. Ivy gloated in her mind over this. "What exactly is it about me that you love? And by all means _Taki-chan_, be honest." If she wasn't so focused on the payback, Ivy would laugh to her heart's content. The look on Taki´s face was almost too much for her; the ninja stared wide-eyed at her while biting her lower lip. She remained silent for a few seconds before stuttering out something incoherent.

"Hmm? What was that _Taki-chan_?"

"W-well you are b-beautiful, g-gorgeous even a-a-and…"

_´This is outstanding! She is so committed to the promise that she cant even form a sentence without stuttering! This is payback! No touching, no flirting, and I'll take advantage of that by showing off!_´

"Why thank you… So what feature do you like the most?" Ivy stood up, giving Taki full view of her exposed body.

_´Look at her go. If you think about it, I am actually the one in control.´_

"Well? Spill it out, my little sakura blossom~" Taki´s face was slowly gaining a red colour, much to Ivy's amusement. "What about my body-shape?"

Taki kept staring, but eventually managed to speak. "I-Its… divine.." Ivy snickered at her but kept on going. It was a great thrill for her to have this effect on the otherwise unmoving ninja. "Mhm~ And my hair? What do you think of it?"

"Its white as snow and equally beautiful…"

"And…" Ivy began, bending forward while pressing her breasts together. She had to summon all her willpower to not burst out laughing at Taki´s expression right then and there. "What about my chest, hm?"

"I-I-I-Its v-v-very b-b-bountiful!"

That did it. Ivy threw her head back, laughing as loudly as possible. Taki had been reduced to a mere shy little stuttering girl. Normally Ivy would have hated the fact that Taki had seen her naked body again, but knowing that she had this kind of power over her, it was worth it. Ivy eventually calmed down, only to meet Taki´s face that was annoyance mixed with confusion.

"I'm going to get dressed and then head out. Take your time, but know that this was payback for what you've done." Ivy said with a snicker and left the spring to get dressed. Taki on the other hand stared at her as she left with annoyance.

"There you are. Took you long enough." The white-haired woman said as Taki finally got out of the bathhouse, still looking upset. "You should be glad that I didn't pounce you right then and there Ivy-chan."

The white-haired woman laughed again. "I told you, it was payback for what you've done. You were so committed to your promise so I figured that it would be torture for you to just sit there and watch. And I got a few compliments as well so I'm happy enough."

"On the contrary," Taki said with a smug smile. "You've just put yourself in worse position. My promise was that I wouldn't say or do anything while we were _inside._ Now that we're back out…"

Ivy looked at her with an mildly amused look. "You're going to smother me with your love again aren't you." Taki simply nodded with a smug smile on her face. However, it slowly faded when Ivy returned it with a smug smile of her own. "Do pardon, but allow me to just check for something…"

Ivy took a step closer towards Taki, gently grabbing the sides of her head, and kissed her. The surprised ninja let out a muffled yelp, but was soon back into the game, but Ivy wasn't paying attention to her.

_´There it is… That same feeling. Just like before, I… Yes. It is just as I thought. Tch, so you actually got to me huh?´_

The two women kissed as if they were depending on it; their tongues met and wrestled for dominance, their cavernous mouths swapping saliva with each kissing movement. A few muffled moans escaped their throats as they stood there, embracing each other tightly, until finally Ivy withdrew from the ninja. They looked at each other with equally dazed looks, but Taki was first to recover.

"Whoa… What… That was very…I…"

"A spark…" Ivy said.

"What..? A spark..?"

"Yes…" Ivy said with a slight smile. "There definitely is a spark, if not a small flare. As much as I hate to admit it, it just needs added fire to become a full flame."

Taki stared deeply into Ivy's ocean blue orbs, and nodded slowly. "So… There is-"

"You certainly are a lucky woman. That's all I have to say." Ivy leant in to kiss Taki again, deeply and passionate. Taki eagerly kissed her back, but eventually it was her that withdrew. "Say… How about we fix that flame right away, back at the inn?" She leant in to whisper into Ivy's ear. "Ninjas have very delicate and skilled fingers…."

Ivy stared at her passively for a few seconds before her lips formed a small smirk. "I guess its only fitting as I for once show you some British hospitality."

The two women shared a laugh as they walked back to the inn, for once hand in hand.

"Oh and one more thing…"

"Yes?" Taki said, genuinely curious.

"Ivy is more or less a nickname. My birth name is Isabella. For future references…"

"Isabella…" Taki smiled warmly. "I like that."

The sky had begun to darken. The stars shined brightly.

A month passed.

The sun shined brightly on the morning sky. The crowds of people were moving around the city, minding their own businesses. Some was selling, others were shopping, and the rest was taking a walk.

Through the masses ran a pair of horses, dragging a large carriage across the dirt road. Passing by crowds and houses alike, the carriage eventually stopped in front of a larger house, beautifully decorated with a garden and fences around the property.

"We've arrived, my ladies." The charioteer said. The door slowly opened as Ivy stepped out. She was clad in a red dress, finished with arm-long red silk gloves. She turned around and extended her hand to her fellow passenger who eagerly grabbed it gently. Taki, wearing a kimono with the colours of orange, red and white, stepped out of the carriage with a look of pure surprise as she looked around at her surroundings. Ivy chuckled at her reaction and waved the charioteer off. Slightly tightening her grip on her now lover's hand, she spoke with a voice full of affection.

"Welcome to England, Taki-chan…"

"It certainly looks interesting…." Taki said while still looking around at the buildings and nearby people. Her gaze eventually met Ivy's where they remained motionless for a few seconds. They looked at each other with content until they leaned in and kissed.

"Shall we head inside?" Ivy asked, smiling as Taki nodded. "Hai. Sounds perfect."

With another kiss, the two lovers walked to the door of their home. Their life together had only just begun.

**The End**

* * *

_Woho, I finally finished it! I´ve had this lying around for a while and once I got started on it, I felt that I needed to finish it._

_For those of you who wonder if I will update the Kagami Yuri Harem story; Yes, I will. Dont you worry. Same goes for my Breakable Rules and Forbidden Sweets story. I do intend to update it._

_I hope you enjoyed reading this, and as always; leave a review, if you will. I would be most grateful if you did._

_GrimGrave, out!_


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: **GrimGrave does not own Soul Calibur or its characters; they belong to Namco/Namco Bandai. GrimGrave does NOT make money out of this.

**A British Rose In The Sakura Garden**

**A Trip to their Gardens**

"A home fit for an Shogun…" Taki said breathlessly as she stepped inside the mansion, amazed at its foreign beauty. Ivy chuckled wholeheartedly as she wrapped an arm around her ninja, pulling her close enough for a peck on the cheek. "While I have nowhere near as much power as a Shogun, I have the luxury."

"I can tell…" Taki said with a smile. She spun around in her British lover's arms, her lips catching Ivy's in a kiss that was anything but chaste. They remained in the position, standing in the middle of the large hall wrapped in each others arms while kissing vigorously, their tongues lapping one another in a wet battle for dominance.

Eventually, they parted only to stare lustfully into each others eyes. Unspoken words of carnal desire loomed in the air between them, eyes pleading to ravage and express the bodily display of attraction. They both knew what they wanted. And they wanted it bad.

"Couldn't wait until we actually went to bed, my little ninja?"

"You are one to talk, Ivy-chan… " Taki said, changing to a whisper as she leant close to Ivy's ear. "I can smell your arousal with ease…"

_´Ninjas and their pesky, super-senses…´_ "I blame you entirely. After your stunts back in Japan-"

"_You_ were the one that eventually confessed and dragged me back to the inn mind you." Taki´s lips curled upwards, a sly grin displaying on her visage. "And what a night that was…" Ivy chuckled, her tongue quickly swiping at the naked, exposed neck. She felt the ninja shiver at the wet caress. "It was an unforgettable night, wasn't it.."

"Best one ever…"

"Taki…"

"Ivy?"

"I need you…"

"The feeling is mutual… A quick tour to your chamber?"

She didn't need to be asked that. With one swoop, Ivy picked up her Asian beauty bridal style with a light grunt. Taki snickered to herself. "Doing this doesn't prove you to be the _man_."

"Shut up…"

With lesser grace but still with ease, Ivy carried her lover up the stairs to her bedroom, ignoring the luggage that was left behind near the doorway. A servant would surely attend to them later, but now, Ivy had other priorities.

"Even your quarters are fit for royalty…" Taki said in amazement. "That bed of yours sure look so neatly cared for… Would be a shame if _someone_… messed them up~" Ivy grinned, glanced down at her lover. "You minx."

They kissed. Deeply, passionate, and lustful. Ivy threw down Taki onto her bed, roughly, and began to discard her clothing; her long gloves were thrown aside, the high-heels were kicked off, and the red dress was slowly being undone. Taki watched her with hungry eyes as she slowly undid her kimono, never taking her gaze off the voluptuous Ivy that she had tamed.

In the wake of the morning light, amidst the richly decorated room stood a woman, naked as the day she was born, her underwear now discarded. Before her was an equally naked woman, lying on her kimono on top of the bed, licking her lips as she waited for the inevitable, the touch, the sexual storm that was Ivy. She beckoned her.

"Ivy… Come to me…" Taki´s voice was quiet, but Ivy heard it. It was drenched in aphrodisiac, and it made her knees shake with excitement. Obeying, Ivy crawled over to her lover, her head at the same height as the bed, presenting the womanhood she had happily indulged herself in many times before. Her tongue stuck out, flicking the exposed, sensitive clit that sent jolts of electrified pleasure throughout the ninja's body. A few more laps at the soaking love-tunnel would do the trick to get the ninja going for real.

"I-Ivy..! Oh heavens…! D-don't stop!"

A breathless chuckle escaped her throat. As much as Taki _loved _to be the dominant one, she could just as easily melt in Ivy's hands, begging for her touch. A thrill of sensuality.

"You like that?" Ivy said, her tongue swiping the soaking opening. "You like the feel of my tongue, don't you?"

"Ten ga jihi o motte iru! Ivy, don't stop..! Don't… Ah! AAHH!" Her body went into convulsions as she peaked, the pleasure jolting through her sinews with electrified speed that siphoned out of her core, wetting the already moist lips of Ivy who lapped it up with a perverted eager. They loved each other, but their way of expressing it through their bodies was nothing of the romantic type.

The white-haired noblewoman licked her lips, glancing up at her flustered lover. "You sure made a mess, _Taki-chan_~"

"Your own fault…" The ninja replied, slowly getting up as her arms supported her, grinning down at Ivy. "Just you wait till I get through with you…"

"Cant wait." Ivy shot back, smirking as she climbed onto the bed, lying next to her Asian ninja. "Lets get this show on the road."

Taki didn't need to be told twice. With a lustful hunger, she leapt over at her lover, attacking the soft mounds of flesh with bites and gropes, playing around the nipples that was stiff and sensitive. The white-haired woman arched her back in the painful pleasure, pushing her chest further towards Taki who licked the beautiful buds, pinching the other that wasn't in her mouth.

The noblewoman clutched onto the covers of her bed, silently gasping at the intense pleasure. "Taki… Taki… Taki..!"

"That's me…" The ninja replied, smirking. "I am the bringer of pleasure… Surrender to me, my darling Ivy… I'll make you feel good…"

Lightly biting the nipple, Taki let her free hand travel downwards, its fingertips teasing the white skin of her lover until she felt the silvery-white tuft of hair, gently stroking it like it was a small kitten before she tapped the sensitive bud of Ivy's core. She moaned out loud, her body jerking at the touch.

"Oh God… T-Taki…"

Taki grinned. She knew how to push Ivy's buttons. Circling the sensitive clitoris with her index-finger, she eventually stopped playing around. Two fingers went inside, feeling the inner muscles tightening around them, soaking them. A feeling that neither got tired of. Taki pinched a nipple, twisting it for added effect whilst she kissed the throat and collarbone that Ivy presented her, relishing at the sound of silent, breathless gasps that the Englishwoman let out, raspy and husky.

Music to her ears.

"Anata no yorokobi o kika sete... Watashi no tame ni sakebu.." Taki whispered in-between kisses, greatly enjoying the feel of Ivy's body shivering each time. "Taki… Oh God, I'm going to…"

Ivy felt her body grow as hot as if she was set on fire. The feather light kisses, the fingers pushing inside of her and the exterior pleasure of her chest was all pushing her to a delighted edge; the final wave was inevitable. It was so close…

And then she was thrown back onto the pillows.

Bewildered, she looked back at Taki. "T-Taki..?"

"Not yet, Ivy-chan…"

Before she knew it, Taki had shifted their positions with graceful agility; facing each other on opposite ends, their cunts kissed in the middle. An unforgettable pleasure surged through them as Taki began to move, scissoring with Ivy who moaned out loud, along with the ninja. The room was filled with their musky scent, their pants and moans lingered in the sound and their bed was filled with dampened spots as they rocked back and forth at each other, kissing with their lower lips.

Ivy bit her lower lip as she felt her strength in her arms slowly diminishing; she would surely collapse once this was over, but that's how she liked it. She rocked her lower body forward, silently gasping as the pleasuring feeling that met her. Their bed was shaking with them.

The ninja felt her own body nearing a second climax, urging her on to continue. She let out short, but loud moans of her bodily feeling, even as her hairpin fell out, allowing her dark brown hair to cascade.

"Taki…! Taki..! Taki! I'm going to…!"

"Mmh…! I-Isabella!" Taki moaned out, and for a second, Ivy felt herself at a loss for words; The ninja had always referred to her by her nickname, but now, in their moment of intimate love, as she calling he rout by her real name. Her birth name. And it proved to be the last step to drive the lust-fuelled Englishwoman over to the climactic edge. She screamed, the sinews tightened, and her body pushed itself into the zone, meeting Taki´s in a wet kiss as the ninja shivered and moaned.

"TAKI!"

"ISABELLA!_ ISABELLA_!"

**::::**

**::::**

They basked in the afterglow. Several minutes had gone by, but they remained side by side on the slightly damp bed, cuddling up to each other with content smiles on their faces, wrapped under the covers. Warm, sweaty and naked bodies pressed themselves against each other, their arms hugging them closer.

"That… was…"

"Intense?" Taki said with a smirk. Ivy chuckled, pecking the ninja on the lips. "Intense. And wonderful."

"Don't I know it~"

"Yes yes, enjoy your ego massage." Ivy said, feigning a frown. She found herself staring into the hazel eyes that stared right back at her, and she smiled. "Taki?"

"Yes Ivy?"

"I love you."

She giggled. "I love you too."

"No." The white-haired woman replied. "I _love_ you."

"Then I _love_ you too. You are mine forever…"

"And you are mine…"

Their lips met in a passionate kiss, short but perfect. Their messages had been delivered.

Until Taki dived her hand down between Ivy's thighs, prodding the wet entrance. Ivy gasped in surprise. "T-Taki?"

The ninja towered over her with a predatory smile. "Ready for round two, my uke~?"

* * *

A follow up on what happened to them as they reached England.

Hope you liked it!


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